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The only factory round I can think of that would clean up the chamber is the 30-06 (if it will). Whoops-there is the 7.5x55 Swiss but good luck finding a reamer....may I ask what's wrong with the #1 30 caliber cartridge in the world?

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Counting semi-legitimised wildcats, I suspect that we have a hundred times more cartridges than we have the slightest need for. "What's with...? may not be the right question to ask.

The only factory round I can think of that would clean up the chamber is the 30-06 (if it will). Whoops-there is the 7.5x55 Swiss but good luck finding a reamer....may I ask what's wrong with the #1 30 caliber cartridge in the world?

Mike Belm warns against top loads in the Encore with 300 Winchester as it can exceed the max psi of 60K. An Encore is built a lot tougher than a Handi. They still have quite a following, I might sell and buy something else if I was tired of it. Still in 308 you have a perfect truck gun.

If you want something interesting, think rimmed. The single shot break action rifle cries out for a rimmed cartridge. Headspacing on the rim is quite convenient.

Three Wildcats come to mind that might suit: the 30-40 Ackley Improved; the 30-444, another Ackley special, and for way out of the box (but readily available brass) the 308 Epps (a 303 Brit Improved but necked to .308). Not sure the Handi is up to the 30-06 AI.

A 30-06 Improved ( Ackley, Gibbs) is probably the best rechamber, working pressure is about the same. The .455 shoulder of the .308 won't 'clean up' without an improved version of most standard cartridges. There are some wildcats on the 8x57 but you do need something that will clean up the chamber. The 30-40/303 British case head (.456) is too small to work in the 308 (.470). A 444 wildcat would work, as the case was/is based on a rimmed '06.

If you want something interesting, think rimmed. The single shot break action rifle cries out for a rimmed cartridge. Headspacing on the rim is quite convenient.

Three Wildcats come to mind that might suit: the 30-40 Ackley Improved; the 30-444, another Ackley special, and for way out of the box (but readily available brass) the 308 Epps (a 303 Brit Improved but necked to .308). Not sure the Handi is up to the 30-06 AI.

Highly recommend the 30-40 AI, effectively a rimmed 30-06 in a Handi.

Those are interesting. There is a Handi in 30-06...that would be a good contender for AI. Yeah the .30-40AI looks cool.

Mike Belm warns against top loads in the Encore with 300 Winchester as it can exceed the max psi of 60K. An Encore is built a lot tougher than a Handi. They still have quite a following, I might sell and buy something else if I was tired of it. Still in 308 you have a perfect truck gun.

Somewhat questionable, top loads implies handloads maybe. Handloads can be whatever pressure the loader wants, or is stupid enough to cram into a case. This needs to be remembered by all handloaders, the pressure obtained is determined by the components/quantities used. Whether or not a wildcat provides the desired performance at the pressure desired is up to the loader. If the pressure is too high to get the velocity you want, go to a bigger case.

I remembered what our Scot friend stated in post #3 after we all ran a few laps. Fun, though.

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It took me a while to realise that that was me, suggesting that a possible alternative to a magnum rechambering in this rifle would be rechambering a .308 to .308 Improved. Well so it would, although I thought for a moment of being so cynical as to suggest that leaving it the way it was would be practically as good. The Improved offers very little in exchange for a special reamer and dies, and much head-shaking and sucking of teeth if you ever want to sell it.

You can indeed load a cartridge any way you want - or don't want. But that is liable to end up as how much cartridge and chamber you care to build around the performance usable and useful (if different) in the H&R. As is very often the case, this does seem to come down to "something different".

Very true. Something different can be realized with reloading. For a mild example: I've always wanted a .35 Rem bolt action. My CB loads in my .358 Win Rem 700 are the same ballistically. I can get .38/.357 level also. I can get close to .35 Whelen loading the other direction.